By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: An activist has approached the Bombay High Court urging it to order for arrest of Chief Editor of Maharashtra Times (MT) – a Marathi daily of the Times group – for allowing an article with the heading that defames Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The Bombay High Court will hear the petition on August 6.
The writ petition filed by social activist Aslam Sayyed, 42, a Pune resident, also prays for action against Yerwada police station’s officer alleging that he was shielding the offenders and not investigating the case even after filing of an FIR by the orders of a Judicial Magistrate First Class of Pune.
MT had published an article on March 15, 2015 by author Govind Talwalkar under the heading ‘Rangile Rasul’. The article was based on and showing the night life of people in metro cities tilting to demonstrate the character of the persons who do not value the social, moral, ethical norms and also not respect the law established in the country.
Sayyed alleged in his complaint that using of word ‘Rangile’ before ‘Rasul’ in the headline hurts the religious feelings of the Muslim community as the latter word has been used as identification for the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) in the Holy Quran and other Holy scriptures of the Islam and that this word has no other meaning in any other language. Thus, the word ‘Rasul’ is highly prestigious in Islam and for Muslims.
He alleged that the word ‘Rasul’ is an Arabic word and not at all originated from Hindi/Marathi or Sanskrit. He therefore complains that by using the word “RANGILE” before the word “RASUL” the author of the article has deliberately and intentionally insulted the religious feelings of Muslim community as a whole.
Speaking with TwoCircles.net, Sayyed told, “The article was published in March. I was disturbed after finding derogatory word before our prophet’s Arabic identification and hence soon after reading the article I went to police to lodge FIR but Yerwada police denied of registering FIR saying there was nothing derogatory. I then approached Court to order registering of an FIR and the court accepted my application, FIR was lodged.”
Sayyed was unhappy that even after filing of FIR, police did not issue summons to author of the article and to the Chief Editor of the newspaper for allowing that article.
“My client was offered lame excuse for not issuing summon that they were not finding the address of author of the article. Can they not even find address of daily newspaper?” Advocate Hafiz Qazi told TCN from Pune. He represented Sayyed before lower court.
“There is a clear indication that police are inclined to protect offenders in the case although it is a matter of grave concern for the minority as it reserves highest admiration for Prophet (pbuh). There is nothing credible that may suggest police have hurdles in investigating the case,” said another lawyer Saifan Shaikh, who assisted Sayyed in drafting the petition.
Aggrieved with the lackadaisical approach of the police officer in investigating the case, Sayyed moved the Bombay High Court seeking action against him for willfully shielding the offenders in the case and an impartial and fair investigation in the case.
Advocate Hasnain Qazi, who filed the writ petition for Sayyed told TwoCircles.net, “We have received the Writ Petition number from High Court and we shall pursue the matter curiously considering the fact that community’s interest is connected with the case.”
The petition prays for immediate transfer of case from present police officer, action against him and arrest of author of the article along with chief editor of MT for allowing such an article.
The Bombay High Court will hear the petition on August 6.